Walt Disney Ahead of Earnings- Schaeffersresearch.com-5/5/05

Entertainment leviathan Walt Disney (DIS: sentiment, chart, options) is inching closer to the earnings confessional. The Mouse is slated to slip into the earnings spotlight on May 11 after the market close, with analysts forecasting a profit of 31 cents per share. This estimate is a 19-percent improvement over its 26-cent gain for the same period a year ago. Not surprisingly, the firm has a history of wowing the Street when it releases earnings. DIS has surpassed the consensus estimate in each of the past five quarters by an average of 24 percent.